Dig ‘in: Bob Vylan, Spread Joy, Porridge Radio
Check out what the No Wristbands team is listening to and what’s in our show calendars this month on our latest Dig ‘in.
INCOMING
Bob Vylan - Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life (Ghost Theatre LP)
I first became aware of BV via Instagram and some terrific pics of a young dreadlocked dude crowd surfing and raising hell. What’s this? Described as a “punk/grime duo,” they have been tearing it up around the UK the last few years, all DIY and self-managing. This first full-length record landed in the the Top 20 upon its release. Imagine the fury of Bad Brains crossed with another astonishing English band—Sleaford Mods—and you start to understand BV. “Big Man,” “GDP,” and “Phone Tap” are excellent examples of a literate, focused, and aware voice that is sounding off in direct opposition to the hypocrisy’s of British society in the 21st Century, rife with racism, economic deprivation, police brutality, etc. “If you deny a problem, you don’t have a problem, then it doesn’t exist” front man Bobby Vylan has stated. Musically stretching out here with spoken word interludes, horn samples, and general sonic fuckery, repeated listenings reveal more and more. Vylan has offered that “these are the stories of my life…what can I do? There’s ‘nuff kids out there who are going to have to grow up in the rubble of everything we’ve destroyed…” Shits real. Everywhere. Next? Let’s hope the fury and art of Bob Vylan can come bomb stages in the US. -Wade Iverson
Spread Joy - II (Feel It Records LP)
Briana Hernandez’s neurotransmitters are once again in overdrive as Spread Joy return in mach 2 pace with their second go-around. The inertia from last year’s self-titled debut carries forth with their trademark shrapnel guitar bursts, lockstep rhythms and her frequent indecipherable vocal yammering. Like its predecessor, the record includes one German-language track, “Ich Sehe Dich,” that translates to “I See You,” which is in juxtaposition to the opaque and dense overall content. In contrast, that track and the closer, “Language,” expand upon the band’s typically abbreviated song structures to clock in and around the three minute mark—feeling rather epic in Spread Joy’s universe. Perhaps their biggest departure can be found in “Excesses,” where Hernandez’s spoken word narrative is buoyed by supporting vocals that push it towards the realm of a pop song and make it a distinctive earworm to what was already a quite memorable effort. -Bruce Novak
Porridge Radio - Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky (Secretly Canadian LP)
Coming off the breakthrough indie success of Every Bad, Porridge Radio were driven to create a “stadium epic” recording. That ambition could easily have steered things in a bloated, pretentious direction that would diminish the band’s tight connection to their audience, but Dana Margolin has repeatedly stated that she strives to be totally vulnerable and open in her songwriting and performance. Because of that, Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky succeeds in sounding immensely grand while it draws the listener in to Margolin’s intimate universe. The album’s theme, represented by its title, covers the balance between joy/fear, play/work and the infinite possibilities or the greater universe. It’s an ambitious and diverse undertaking, representing some of the band’s most nuanced arrangements that admirably balances a mixture of guitars and electronics. There’s also a noticeable confidence of allowing the songs to breathe at an appropriate pace—having a restraint that doesn’t diminish their emotional punch. Regardless of one’s interpretation of epic, there’s no denying that Porridge Radio has produced a record that is in turns visceral, honest and empathetic—which registers as pretty huge in my listening experience. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Oso Oso
Where: Beat Kitchen / Directions
When: June 2, 7:00 PM
Fresh off the surprise release of their 4th album Sore Thumb, emo indie rock band Oso Oso is set to play Beat Kitchen on June 2nd. Oso Oso is the brainchild of Jade Lilitri, and has steadily been releasing music since 2014. Sore Thumb was recorded over a month in early 2021 with late Oso Oso member, and Lilitri's cousin Tavish Maloney, and serves as a tribute to Maloney. The album sat untouched for close to a year prior to being mastered and released. The immediacy and rough edges of the recordings draw you in closer, and should make for a perfect match for the intimacy of Beat Kitchen. -Mark Joyner
Kraftwerk
Where: Aragon Ballroom / Directions
When: June 2, 8:00 PM
Formed in 1970, and rightly acknowledged as the originators of computer based electronic music, Kraftwerk’s Autobahn from 1974 was the record that crystalized their aesthetic that would influence the world of popular music across generations. In fact, they have been called “the most influential group in pop music history (along with the Beatles)” by NME journalist Neil McCormick. Back in 2014 they came to the Riviera presenting a first iteration of “Kraftwerk in 3-D,” and to say it was mind-blowing would be no overstatement. How? The most impressive integration of sound, video, lighting, and show I have ever witnessed. No accident they have performed at MOMA, as well as opera houses across the globe. Ralf Hütter is the sole original member and continues to re-imagine their timeless music and art. While the Aragon can present sound issues for loud rock bands, I have no doubt Kraftwerk will negotiate this room with aplomb. One final thing—the vibe at the 2014 concert was unmistakably one of celebration, and the quietest, and most polite crowd—ever. -Wade Iverson
Dehd
Where: Metro / Directions
When: June 4, 8:00 PM
Dehd return to Chicago for the first time since their latest album, Blue Skies, was released last Friday. The band catapulted out of the pandemic malaise by playing Pitchfork festival last summer and their cathartic live show seems to be just what their fans need right now. I have to confess, as a drummer who's been told he makes weird faces and contortions while playing I feel a kinship with Jason Balla, who plays guitar as physically as anyone I've watched in recent years. That's not to discount what Emily Kempf or Eric McGrady bring to the table. Kempf is the main attraction here, my soft spot for Balla aside. She's come into her own vocally and as a stage performer in recent years and promises to put on an excellent show, all while McGrady holds it down on his drum pad. Expect a healthy amount of crowd favorites from the last album like “Desire," but this show should be all about the Blue Skies material, which won't disappoint. -Wade Novak
Post Office Winter
Where: Thalia Hall / Directions
When: June 5, 6:00 PM (all ages show)
As part of the Hallogallo indie collective showcase that includes Horsegirl, Lifeguard and Friko, Post Office Winter will ease listeners into the evening with their set of charming off-kilter song constructs. Charlie Johnston and Will Huffman started as neighborhood and school companions before forming POW in 2020. Their summer release from last year, Songs for a Scientist, has an extra ambient element that pairs fittingly with their DIY aesthetic—the result of recording their material in the open door Johnston family garage to ensure safety in the ongoing pandemic. The duo also recently enlisted Eli Schmitt as their drummer born out of the friendship that emerged from Schmitt’s scene support through his Unresolved zine, DePaul radio show airplay and New Now band recordings that take place in his apartment. The fact that Schmitt had zero drum experience prior to the invitation is an apt indication of the band’s passionate simplicity and emotional resonance. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Neu! - S/T (Grönland Records LP)
While Kraftwerk is the most well known purveyor of krautrock, Neu! certainly left a unique imprint on the iconic genre. The group surfaced in 1971 upon the departure of Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother from the aforementioned Kraftwerk. Their debut album was recorded at that year’s end with Conny Plank serving a vital role as engineer and co-producer. Metronome’s Brain label originally issued the record in 1972 and it has been re-released multiple times over the years—Grönland Records being the most recent to do so stateside. The group combined elements of electronic avant-garde, psychedelic drone, ambient composition and prog rock into a free-flowing mixture. Neu! pioneered the motorik beat; an insistent 4/4 rhythm that mimicked the sound of traveling on the German Autobahn. There’s no greater representation of this groove than in the album’s epic opener “Hallogallo.” For most intents and purposes, their third release Neu! 75 marked the end of the duo’s creative collaboration with subsequent releases being mostly archival in nature. Sadly, Klaus Dinger died of heart failure in 2008. Their legacy though remains astounding, with Bowie, Eno, Public Image, Sonic Youth and Stereolab being just a few artists who fell under their influence. Locally in Chicago, a whole new generation of musicians have rallied under the banner known as the Hallogallo collective, ensuring that Neu! will have a shelf life for the ages. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: